Staffordshire & West Midlands (SWM) Probation Trust works to high standards and we hope this is reﬂected in how we work with you.
<br/><br/>
If you want to thank someone from probation who worked with you, then please tell them. You can do this by writing a letter to them at their ofﬁce address.


<h4>That sounds ﬁne - but what if I have a complaint?</h4>

To be considered, your complaint has to be about an action or a decision taken by probation staff, the Probation Trust Board, a board member, a contractor, agent or volunteer working for the Probation Service.
<br/><br/>
We will consider your complaint if:<br/> 
 
&#8226; You are or have been under supervision of the Probation Service<br/> 
&#8226; You have been or are about to be the subject of a report for use by a court<br/> 
&#8226; You have suffered physical injury, distress, theft or damage to property as a result of an offender under our supervision<br/> 
&#8226; You are a victim who is eligible to receive support from us (where the offender was sentenced to 12 months or more in prison for a serious or violent offence)<br/> 
 
We can’t look into something that is already being investigated by the police or subject to a decision of the courts, statutory tribunal, Parole Board, Crown Prosecution Service or the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
<br/><br/>
Your complaint won’t normally be considered if it is about something that happened more than 12 months ago, or that you could have known about a year ago.
<br/><br/>
We aim to resolve complaints informally at the lowest level, whenever it is appropriate.


<h4>It is best to talk</h4>

Talking face to face or over the telephone with the person involved can often be the solution.
If this is difﬁcult, ask to discuss it with a more senior member of staff.
<h4>Pen to paper</h4>
You can make a formal complaint in writing. You should sign it and send it to:<br/>
<br/>
Chief Executive<br/>
SWM Probation Trust<br/>
4th Floor<br/>
1 Victoria Square<br/>
Birmingham<br/>
B1 1BD<br/>
<br/>
Within ﬁve working days of receiving your letter the Chief Executive will write to explain how your complaint will be handled. We will aim to resolve your complaint within 28 working days.<br/>
<br/>
If your complaint is about an issue involving the Chief Executive, you should address your letter to the Secretary of the Probation Trust Board.<br/>


<h4>If you are not satisﬁed with the outcome</h4>

You can appeal within 15 working days of receiving the outcome. Write to the Secretary of the Probation Trust Board, explaining why you want to appeal. The Secretary will acknowledge your letter within ﬁve working days of receiving it.
<br/><br/>
A panel, including at least one board member, will look at your appeal. They may ask to meet you and the investigating ofﬁcer. The outcome will be sent to you within 20 working days of the receipt of the appeal. The panel will let you know if they need longer to make a decision.


<h4>If you’ve taken these steps and are still unhappy with the decision</h4>

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman can review your complaint if you have:<br/> 
 
&#8226; Been under supervision of the Probation Service<br/> 
&#8226; Been housed in probation accommodation<br/> 
&#8226; Had a pre-sentence report or a speciﬁc sentence report prepared about you<br/> 
<br/>
You can write to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman at:<br/>
<br/>
Ashley House<br/>
2 Monck Street<br/>
London<br/>
SW1P 2BQ